As most prospective and existing cellular subscribers know, calling plans can often be quite confusing. Although wireless companies generally offer bundles of minutes for a flat rate, the charge for each call may still vary based upon a number of variables such as peak time/off-peak times, extra minute charges, roaming charges, directory assistance fees and mutual agreements between service providers. Thus, the wireless subscriber may have no idea how much a certain call will end up costing beyond the flat rate. Likewise, for Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) subscribers, it may be difficult to find up-to-date information concerning costs for local toll calls or a long distance calls, particularly international calls. Calling charges are often a function of such factors as the respective locations of the calling and called parties, the time and day, and the various agreements between the service providers, among other things.
Further, in many developing countries, phone calls are often made at Public Call Offices (PCOs), which are spread out all over the country so that people who do not have phone service at their home (or those who do not subscribe to long distance service) can make outgoing calls (both voice and data). PCOs, which can be owned and operated by private individuals or the government, allow people in even the most remote locations to connect via telephone, fax, and the Internet. Callers using PCOs sometimes make their calling decisions based upon the amount of money he or she has and would like to spend on the call. It may be difficult to predict how much a given call is going to cost, since the rates are constantly changing.
Thus, there is a need in the art providing a system and process whereby a caller may be able to know the call charge per minute rate before the call is connected and thus be able to specify either the duration or total cost of the call.